In the past the industry's most advanced drying controls were only used in central conveying systems. More commonly used were microprocessor controls for dryers which varied in design from liquid crystal or vacuum fluorescent to LED displays. The more sophisticated controls were generally developed for conveying systems ulitizing multiple receivers, pumps and material selection devices.

Today most small dryers still use basic controls, however, the controls are much more reliable than their predecessors and offer a wider range of functions to be monitored and controlled. The desiccant wheel dryer has many advanced energy-saving features and the complexity of the infrared rotating drum dryer/crystallizer, used by many PET processors, requires monitoring and control of additional/multiple parameters. Dryer manufacturers have responded to this growing need with controls that most systems engineers can admire. More sophisticated controls are being offered that generally are much more "user friendly" and provide a pictorial interface. Color versions can provide information based on both icon and color.

Controls today have simplified dryer operation even more, making them faster, easier to use and with less operator error- even during complex drying sequences. Simple, yet sophisticated, controls are interfacing with more devices offering a greater range of control and monitoring than ever before.